1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an article of manufacture and a process for making said article. In particular, the invention relates to an abrasive sheet having a design printed thereon and a sublimation heat transfer process for making the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Abrasive sheets are known in the art. In particular, abrasive sheets having an adhesive backing have found a wide variety of uses. They find use as appliques wherever an antislip surface is desired. This includes use as gripping tapes applied to stair treads and swimming pools and as appliques applied to the top of skate boards or to the bottom of showers and bathtubs. By the very nature of such uses, the sheets are constantly subjected to wear by their user.
For both safety and aesthetic reasons, it is desirable to be able to print graphic designs on such sheets. Because of the granular or texturized nature of the sheet's surface, this has proven to be a difficult task. For example, by using conventional silk screen printing processes it has not proved economically feasible to make graphics. Instead, with silk screening both the screen and the squeegee are subjected to excessive and rapid deterioration, because of the abrasive nature of the sheets' surface.
Surprisingly, it has been found that it is possible to economically make an abrasive sheet having graphic designs of unlimited color combinations and of considerable detail, which is also long-lasting, by using a sublimation heat transfer process.